Frank Lampard’s weekend brace against Aston Villa not only
lifted the Blues to victory and ensured their spot in the UEFA Champions League
next season, but it also lifted him above Bobby Tambling as the club’s all-time
leader in goals scored. The 34 year old
midfielder has had his future with the club speculated on extensively despite
leading Chelsea in Premier League scoring with 15 goals. With his favorite manager, Jose Mourinho, all
but guaranteeing his return to Chelsea this summer, it makes sense for the club
to retain Super Frank’s services. Finally
after months of speculation it appears Lampard is ready to accept a
one year contract extension from the club. Lampard is expected to captain
the Blues in today’s Europa League Final against Portugal’s Sporting
Benfica.
Lampard’s role as a first team regular has come into
question during the 2012-13 season, though it has not been as a result of
Lampard’s performances. Considered to be the
6th best performing player in the Premier League by WhoScored.com,
Lampard buoyed the team through the tumultuous transition between managers
Roberto Di Matteo and Rafa Benitez. Most clubs would rush to re-sign a club legend
that was their leading scorer in the league, but with the emergence of the
midfield trio of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, and Oscar, Lampard has been viewed as
the odd man out in the midfield.
Lampard’s steady influence has been invaluable to the club, which
has gone through 9 managers during Frank’s tenure. It has been rumored that Lampard’s
relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich became strained during the departure
of former manager Andre Villas-Boas and prior contract negotiations. Lampard, considered by many to be one of “football’s
good guys”, does not have a reputation as a player who causes trouble for the
club. Earlier this year he announced he
would be producing a line of children’s books called “Frankie’s
Magic Football” based on previously undeveloped stories he reads to his two
daughters. With his favor among fans
approaching an all-time high, some may wonder what there is left for Frank to
accomplish at Chelsea.
With the goal of overtaking Bobby Tambling accomplished and
added to a laundry list of personal accomplishments to match a trophy case full
of team honors, Lampard has accomplished nearly every imaginable objective with
Chelsea. If he is able to steer the team
to victory this evening, Chelsea will become the first team to win the UEFA Champions
League and the Europa League in that order in consecutive seasons.
Several American MLS clubs have expressed their interest in
signing Super Frank, while he has significantly reduced his wage demands and continually
expressed his desire to stay in an effort to broker a new deal with
Chelsea. From a public standpoint it
does not appear that Frank was ready to take a “victory lap” in American
football the way David Beckham, Robbie Keane, and Torsten Frings have. Instead he has made the commendable decision
to continue competing at football’s highest level.
With today’s opportunity at European glory, Mourinho’s
Chelsea return on the horizon, and the fate of club legend Frank Lampard
assured, Chelsea fans have every reason to celebrate and “keep the blue flag flying
high.”
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